Instagram hopes to launch Hyperlapse for Android ‘soon’ despite low-level APIs not available on the platform

Facebook’s Instagram today released Hyperlapse for iOS, a new mobile app that lets iPhone owners record tracking shots and time-lapse videos. The app isn’t launching on Google’s mobile platform today (or even later this week) because the necessary APIs simply aren’t available.

“Android is an important platform for us, so we really want to bring Hyperlapse to it,” an Instagram spokesperson told TNW. “Unfortunately, the requisite APIs are not currently available on Android. More specifically, low-level APIs to access the gyroscope and camera frames.”

When I pushed for a definitive answer, however, here’s the official stance I was given: “we hope to bring [Hyperlapse] to Android soon.” The company couldn’t provide a timeline because it has to make changes to the Android platform, but it did confirm the app is indeed in the works, despite the technical limitations.

Update: As for Windows Phone, the Instagram spokesperson says the company has “nothing to announce today on that front.”

Emil was a reporter for The Next Web between 2012 and 2014. Over the years, he has covered the tech industry for multiple publications, including Ars Technica, Neowin, TechSpot, ZDNet, and CNET. Stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.